


if i could count the grains of sand

by guide_to_the_galaxy



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: And they're getting to know and understand one another in ways that build a sturdy foundation, F/F, I got a cool prompt on tumblr for beachy things and here's what happened, Super cute and lovely and warm, They all love each other very much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-19 02:57:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11304300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guide_to_the_galaxy/pseuds/guide_to_the_galaxy
Summary: April is used to moving fast now, to fighting, to flying so far above reality to comprehend life at all. But life is changing and slowing down and love is bringing newer, brighter things. Karai has never been to the beach. April and Shini fix that.





	if i could count the grains of sand

**Author's Note:**

> so of course i love my kunoichi cubed and i thought i would upload this here as well because they're all so wonderful!

For the past several summers or so of April’s short life she had spent douping the following: running from aliens in space, trying to hunt mutants, learning to weild weapons, how to kill,  _how to hurt_ , losing people, finding people and going so fast she barely had a second to process it all and realize how insane everything was- so otherworldly and bizzare. When she was a kid, she and her dad would drive to the farmhouse, go fishing like real humans normally do, and she’d get a terrible sunburn, couldn’t move right for a week- but it was normal and it was easy and comfortable and familiar.

Now the idea of moving so slow and comprehending the motions of predictable life was so far removed from April’s mind, she almost didn’t want to remember how it felt. Being normal. Because now she’s grown into a new kind of thing, a skin she fits easy in, a method of living that sends her heart racing and soaring and she’s  _feeling it_ even if said feeling comes more like after images and blurs of brilliant lights and colors.

April knows it’s her last real summer of being insanely free and a little too reckless. College is in the fall, and April is forced to flutter back down to earth again, readjust again, connect with life (but, like, how can you when you’ve seen worlds far greater than your own, when you’ve felt that power through your veins, and conquered the galaxy ten times over) and be one with… _reality?_

But that was for the fall, when this heat dies down and she can think a little straighter, breathe easier. For now, in midsummer, all she wants to do is give everything she has and get full from love and excitement and other wonderful things.

She calls Karai, she calls Shini, she finds a beach and a motel and a hella good bathing suit, and finds her heart filling, and that warmth blossoms every mile they get further from New York and closer to Florida.

Turns out Shinigami adores french fries in her apple pies and milkshakes as much as April does, and they pass around the swirly striped straw till there’s nothing left but the pineapple taste on their lips, and the salt of french fries.

* * *

 

Karai has never been fishing. Or swimming at the beach. Or canoeing or surfing or sunbathing or any of the things April talks about the whole way down, in a voice so free flowing and loud, the wind whipping her hair across her face.

“Okay, first of all, I totally knew Shredder was a dick-” she says and Karai and Shini hum in total agreement because, yeah, in simpler terms (besides abusive, a maniac, power hungry, a narcissistic loser and worst dad of the year since the 90’s) he was, and April takes her feet from the dashboard, “But he is a whole nother level of  _jackass_  if he actually didn’t let you go to the beach-  _once_.”

And Karai simply nods, leaning back from the steering wheel, “O'neil, I had a strict routine, a tight schedule. You think vacation was in the regiments?” she smirks, remembering being too young and naive enough to never realize how awful it was, content with  _now_  and the nice view of the shoreline, and the sound of Shini’s gameboy behind her.

April seems to take it in, probably thinking back on her life, and overthinking, in fact. She tended to always overthink. And being around her younger brother, Karai figures, doesn’t help. But that’s what made them, them, and Karai is learning how to work with the little things.

“Oh…” April says finally, once it registers that dads can suck really bad but that life, inevitably moves on (and sometimes thankfully so), and draws her knees up, “How ‘bout you Shini? Ever been?”

Shini perks, and lets her gameboy fall lazily to the side, grinning, “Oh, yes! I went to a rocky beach and a storm was just clearing if I remember it right-  _Île d'Oléron_ , it was called, I  _think,_ ” says Shini like she doesn’t remember it vividly, even though, of course, she did, “Anyway, I was sent to assassinate an old mercenary who’d double crossed the clan. Unfortunately, I  _had_  to pretend to enjoy his company on the beach for several hours before I could kill him. Stupid boys, right? He’s dead now, anyway.”

She shrugs and gets back to level seven of pac-man.

Karai snorts from the driver’s seat as April starts to double over.

* * *

 

Lying on the sand, after all their towels are laid out and the sun is still high behind puffy white clouds, Shini plays her games and reads her books, watching Karai and April attempt to surf behind cat-eyed sunglasses. And when they come back with sand in their hair and big, stupid  _oh hi, babe, we didn’t almost just die but kinda did and it was awesome don’t be mad!_  Shini, who obviously is not mad, lets them plop beside her, keeping her cool with wet skin across her lap.

* * *

 

In the motel they take a bath, watch Little Mermaid and Lilo and Stitch and Ponyo in their own perspective pajamas and bathrobes and boxers, and slow it down just a little.

Enough to let this moment soak in.

**Author's Note:**

> hope everyone is enjoying their summers too! See you guys around! kudos and comments welcome!!!


End file.
